On the day of the premiere, Tang Li was dragged to the company by Ye Qian and Sister Hu before eight in the morning to get styled. The poor girl had been burning the midnight oil until four last night, and now she could barely keep her eyes open in the break room. Her head was nodding, as if she would fall asleep at any second.

The stylist felt bad for her. "Why don’t we let Li Zi sleep for a bit? I can do your styling first?"

Ye Qian didn’t insist. "Fine, but didn’t I tell Li Zi yesterday? To get some rest early and be in her best shape today?"

Tang Li was half-asleep. "I was writing a proposal for a new variety show. I just lost track of time and stayed up too late."

She couldn’t write scripts, but she was a professional proposal writer. Even though she had been bouncing between several film sets for the better part of the last six months, Tang Li had never forgotten her real job.

Plus, she had been discussing it with Tan You, so Tang Li had ended up pulling an all-nighter without even realizing it.

"I’m going to nap for a bit. Wake me up when you’re done with your styling, Ye Qian. I’m just so tired." Tang Li mumbled a few words, pulled a nearby blanket over herself, and obediently curled up on the sofa, fast asleep.

Everyone who entered or left the break room consciously lightened their steps, afraid of waking Tang Li. Nowadays, Tang Li was the company’s cash cow; who would dare to disturb her? Even if Tang Li herself didn’t mind, the others were not so easygoing.

Tang Li didn’t wake up until noon, finally having slept her fill. She stretched, then sniffed the air instinctively. "Something smells good."

Sister Hu was opening a thermal container. "Wen Ji sent over lunch. We were just about to wake you. Doesn’t Wen Ji not do deliveries? I can’t believe they actually delivered lunch."

Tang Li smiled. "My grandfather and Grandpa Wen are on good terms."

Sister Hu understood. "Oh, I get it. We’re in for a treat today. Too bad for Qianqian, though. She has to wear a gown, so she can’t eat much. If she eats too much, she’ll get a food baby."

Ye Qian sounded regretful. "Sigh, it really is a shame. Li Zi, can we go for a late-night snack after the premiere tonight? How late is Wen Ji open?"

Tang Li came over and unwrapped a set of cutlery. "Probably no late-night snack. The premiere won’t be over until at least three in the morning. What private kitchen stays open that late? If you want to eat there, I’ll treat you to a meal at Wen Ji tomorrow."

"Just bear with it for today."

Ye Qian sighed. "Fine, I’ll endure. Li Zi, you should control yourself a bit too. Your stomach will really stick out if you eat too much."

Tang Li said, "It’s fine. I’m not a celebrity. I don’t care about that stuff."

That’s what she said, but she still reduced her portion size, showing that she wasn’t entirely unconcerned.

Sister Hu ladled soup for everyone. "The jewelry Li Zi brought... really... I don’t know how to describe it. It doesn’t look ostentatious, but once you notice it, you can’t look away."

Tang Li also glanced at the jade necklace on Ye Qian’s neck. "As long as everyone’s happy wearing them, that’s all that matters. The value is just something artificially inflated by people."

Ye Qian laughed too. "When I walk out in this outfit, the first adjective people will think of is probably ’expensive,’ right? I feel like I’m carrying a few houses on my back."

Around eight in the evening, Tang Li, Ye Qian, and the rest of the film crew gathered just off the red carpet. Looking at the long carpet, Tang Li found it a bit amusing. "I never thought I’d see the day I’d walk a red carpet. Does Director Liu always hold a premiere for his movies?"

"Pretty much. All the big-name directors do," You Li said with a smile. "Are you two walking the red carpet together tonight?"

"Yeah, we’re from the same company, and Ye Qian and I have never appeared publicly at the same event." Tang Li smiled as she spoke. She quite enjoyed being close with pretty girls.

You Li smiled as well. "That’s nice. You used to be too low-key, never attending events like this."

"Speaking of which, the annual music awards are coming up soon. Ye Qian’s album did exceptionally well. Will you be attending?"

Tang Li didn’t hesitate. "Of course I’m going. I’ll drag Teacher Liang along with me. Half the credit for this medal of honor belongs to him and me. Teacher Liang can’t miss an event like this."

Everyone knew Tang Li was tone-deaf, so they all chuckled softly. After a few pleasantries, the group walked onto the red carpet together. Since Tang Li was, after all, behind-the-scenes staff, few people took photos of her even though she was walking with the film crew.

Tang Li was quite happy about this. While she certainly wanted to witness Tan You’s moment of glory, she privately had no desire to be in the public eye.

After walking the long red carpet and entering the theater, Director Liu and Old Zhou came over. Director Liu pointed at Tang Li. "I hear you have quite a few television scripts on hand?"

Tang Li raised an eyebrow. "Who told you that?"

Director Liu huffed a laugh. "Old Zhou has ears everywhere. Is there anything he doesn’t know? And look at you—you have to oversee production schedules and produce an album for Ye Qian, yet you still find time to write television scripts?"

Tang Li just smiled. "I had nothing better to do."

The moment she said this, the eavesdroppers around them practically staggered backward. ’Is that something a human would even say? "Nothing better to do"?’

Director Liu was also left speechless for a moment. "I don’t care about that. Shouldn’t we start prepping my new script?"

Tang Li replied, "We can discuss the details later."

Director Liu knew to quit while he was ahead. "Alright, we’ll talk details later. Your talent is truly incredible for such a young woman."

Tang Li actually felt a little sheepish. "You’re too kind, really. I’m not the main character today. Let’s talk about something related to the movie."

While everyone else was socializing, Tang Li sat down in a corner. Just appearing in public today was her limit; socializing was out of the question.

Sister Hu sat down next to Tang Li. "Ah, the world of fame and fortune. Back when Ye Qian was getting the cold shoulder, she couldn’t even get into events like this. But now, it’s like everyone is her best friend."

Tang Li shrugged. "Society itself is just one giant rat race, a web of intertwined interests. Some people don’t take it seriously, while others see it as everything. I respect everyone’s way of life, as long as they don’t get in my face about it."

Sister Hu said, "I can see that everyone wants to get to know you. It’s just that you picked a great spot—a corner against the wall, with me here as a blocker. So it’s awkward for them to just come over."

Tang Li said, "That’s for the best. Shouldn’t you be helping Ye Qian out?"

As she spoke, she glanced toward the center of the venue, where Ye Qian was surrounded by several other actresses, looking a bit flustered.

Sister Hu immediately stood up but then hesitated. "Are you sure you’ll be okay by yourself?"

Tang Li replied, "Of course I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. It’s not like they’re going to eat me alive, right? People here aren’t that undignified." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

’People in the entertainment circle... no matter what they’re plotting internally, at the end of the day, they still have to save face. I know this all too well. It’s not like I’m some rookie; I’m a seasoned veteran of the professional world, okay?’

The moment Sister Hu left to help Ye Qian out of her jam, Tang Li’s side was no longer quiet. People came in wave after wave, all to give Tang Li their business cards.